


Ice Planet Hoth Conundrum, The

by LdyAnne



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: mcsheplets, First Kiss, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-03
Updated: 2012-03-03
Packaged: 2017-11-01 01:07:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LdyAnne/pseuds/LdyAnne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John knows there are ways to stay warm.  Written for the mcsheplets challenge #115 'cold'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ice Planet Hoth Conundrum, The

The planet was cold. Really, really cold. And there was snow everywhere, as far as the eye could see. To say it was an inhospitable climate would be an understatement. It wouldn't be John's choice for a vacation, and he loved to ski. They wouldn't even be here except Rodney had detected an energy signature that had excited and intrigued him.

An excited and intrigued Rodney was something John could never resist. Although this time he should have.

He stepped back from the make-shift sled. Ronon hefted the straps to his shoulders, adjusting them until they sat comfortably. John crouched down next to Teyla. She lay on the sled, her eyes closed, her face drawn up into lines of pain. John rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you going to be alright until you get back to Atlantis?" he asked quietly.

She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "I will be fine," she said, her lips curling up in a smile, although it was just a pale imitation of her usual smile. She looked so small lying there, all of their emergency blankets tucked in around her. He pulled his hat off, putting it on her, pulling the ears down over hers. He patted her shoulder awkwardly. He stood up, crunching through the snow to Ronon.

"You sure you know the way back?"

Ronon didn't even answer, he just raised an incredulous eyebrow.

John shoved a hand through his hair. He was already getting colder without his hat. "You know what I mean," he said, his voice low so they didn't disturb Teyla. "It was a three-hour trek without one of us being injured and this place is treacherous."

"Don't worry, Sheppard." Ronon fussed with the straps some more, making sure they were seated properly. "I'll follow our track back to the gate. It was safe enough until Teyla fell. You sure you and McKay should stay here and not come back with us?"

They both looked over at Rodney who was crouched down next to Teyla, failing miserably at being comforting.

"I just think you can move faster by yourself. Teyla's leg is broken. She needs to get out of this cold and back to Atlantis as soon as possible. If another one of us gets injured, that will slow us down too much. We'll be fine. We have the cold weather survival gear. We can set up camp here." John smiled over at Rodney. "We'll be fine for a couple of hours until you can get back with Lorne and a jumper. I'm more in danger of Rodney bitching me to death than from the cold."

Ronon gave a nod and a short wave before he set off. Teyla's sled moved smoothly behind him gliding over the snow.

Everything around them was white. Ronon and Teyla stood out against the whiteness, becoming smaller and smaller as they moved away.

John moved to stand next to Rodney. "That sled was a great idea," he said bumping shoulders with Rodney.

"Yes, yes, my engineering skills are being put to great use with that primitive sled. At least Teyla is headed for the warmth of Atlantis. While you and I are going to freeze to death here while we wait for your second in command to get it in gear and rescue us."

"We're not going to freeze to death, Rodney," John told him. He thought longingly of a couple of ways that he and Rodney could stay warm while they were waiting for rescue. He tucked them away when he regarded his friend's scowl. All evidence pointed to the fact that Rodney would not welcome the idea that they strip down and share body heat. With a sigh, he began assembling their tent. "Help me with this."

Rodney bent with a scowl to help put up the little two-man tent, talking all the while.

"I still don't understand why you and I are waiting here while Ronon takes Teyla back to Atlantis. I would think we would all be better off going back to Atlantis together. There's safety in numbers you know."

John grinned at Rodney's tirade. He knew that as long as Rodney could talk things were alright. It wasn't until Rodney went quiet that John started to worry.

John repeated what he told Ronon. "It's too dangerous for all of us to go together. There's all sorts of hazards here – the least of which is the icy conditions. What if another one of us slipped on the ice and were injured? Then we'd have two people injured. Ronon can get Teyla back alright, but if two of us are injured, it really hurts our chances of all of us getting back to Atlantis safely."

"Lucky Teyla, she gets to ride back in comfort while I sit here and shiver to death." Rodney pounded in tent stakes viciously.

"You don't mean that, McKay, Teyla is not lucky to have fallen and broken a leg. She's in a lot of pain. With the cold and that break, she's in real danger."

Rodney glared at John, but his gaze broke first. He looked away. "No, I don't mean that, you know that. I'm just worried about Teyla, and I'm afraid we're going to die a cold, icy death. You know I don't react to certain doom well."

John couldn't help it. He laughed. "We're not going to die, Rodney. We'll spend a few cold hours," there were ways to stay warmer, John thought, again, "but that's all. Now come on."

They got the tent up none too soon. Clouds gathered overhead the entire time they worked. Just as they made it into the tent's interior, soft white flakes began falling around them.

John watched the snow falling for a moment before zipping them in. The snow was thickening, visibility outside was falling.

"You think Teyla and Ronon are alright?" Rodney asked anxiously, watching the snow fall. He twisted his hands together anxiously.

John got busy setting up a little camp stove in the corner. While they hadn't intended to be on planet for long, he was glad it was SOP to bring all the supplies they'd need if there was trouble. This was just the kind of thing that happened to his team often enough that was the reason those procedures were in place.

"They're fine," John reassured Rodney, even though Rodney had echoed his very thoughts. He hoped that their teammates were enough ahead of the storm that they didn't get caught in it. Although John knew that Ronon carried the same winter survival gear they had. "I'm sure if Ronon thinks they can't get through to the gate safely, they'll hunker down and wait out the storm the same way we will." He kept his voice even trying to keep Rodney calm.

He should have known it wouldn't work. "Hunker down? What kind of plan is that?" Rodney couldn't pace in the limited confines of the tent, he did a complicated gesture with his hands taking in the tent, the snow, the entire planet. "I knew we should have gone back for the jumper. Maybe next time you'll listen to me. Now we're going to freeze to death. They'll come back and find our cold, frozen bodies and my genius will be lost. Just think of all the discoveries I'll never make..."

John couldn't stand it anymore, the way Rodney's hands were flailing, the way his eyes were flashing, the downturned side of Rodney's mouth. John fisted his shirt and hauled him in.

"No, no don't kill me... wha?" Rodney flailed a little until John got their mouths aligned. Rodney hummed in surprise, then he clutched John pulling him closer.

"You know there are ways we can keep warm," John murmured once they came up for air.

Rodney pulled him back in. "You always have the best plans."

Then they were kissing again. John could feel the warmth of their kisses all the way to his toes.

  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

This story archived at <http://www.wraithbait.com/viewstory.php?sid=16199>  


**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the chibis found here - http://mcsheplets.livejournal.com/296480.html


End file.
